The message quoted an upcoming NBR article stating, “I can tell you, and you can quote me, when you’ve got Nadia Lim, when you’ve got a little bit of Eurasian fluff in the middle of your prospectus with a blouse unbuttoned showing some cleavage, and that’s what it takes to sell your script, then you know you’re in trouble.”
These racist and sexist comments were made by CEO of DGL Group, Simon Henry. At the time, I wondered whether the NBR would print these comments, but on Tuesday they proceeded to green-light them.
I’m not even going to begin to unpick why I consider this to be an incredibly arrogant and stupid comment to make about someone contracted as a brand ambassador, or how women are sexualised for wearing V-neck tops. NBR journalist Hamish McNicol said it best: “We also don’t remotely agree with Henry’s description of the photo”.
But, in my opinion, even addressing his remarks is making excuses for racist, sexist and degrading commentary.
Read the full column here
Covid obsession is making us fall behind - September 4
With the borders open and Kiwis once again travelling around the world, there is one common sentiment when they return. The rest of the world is open.
Recently, every single person I’ve spoken to who has returned from overseas has joined the chorus. In most countries, there are no restrictions, no face masks, and no testing. If you’re sick, you stay home. Your family isn’t told to isolate.
On the whole, Covid has become part of life beyond the shores of Aotearoa.
In the times before Covid, chances are we all went into work while sniffly or feeling a little under the weather. The last few years have made Kiwis – and their workplaces – more aware of the importance of taking sick leave and the impact this has on slowing the spread and even stopping illnesses.
This shift towards understanding that people get better faster when they’re allowed the time to rest and recover is one of the silver linings of the pandemic.
But now’s the time to reassess our relationship with Covid and now’s the time to shake off the far-reaching culture of fear.
Read the full story here
Roe v Wade tests Luxon’s leadership - June 27
Sadly, history was rewritten at the weekend with the reversal of Roe v Wade. The Supreme Court ruling devastatingly overturned 50 years of abortion law and sent the US back half a century on women’s rights.
This judgment is sending shockwaves across the world and it’s already had unintended political consequences in Aotearoa.
For me it ultimately comes down to personal choice and ensuring access to healthcare is a basic human right. Personally, I find the overturn deeply upsetting.
Our Prime Minister succinctly condemned this move in her post “People are absolutely entitled to have deeply held convictions on this issue. But those personal beliefs should never rob another from making their own decisions. To see that principle now lost in the United States feels like a loss for women everywhere.”
But not everyone was as adept, nor do they care for women’s rights. Enter Simon O’Connor, National MP for Tāmaki, and his dim-witted Facebook post on Saturday morning saying, “Today is a good day”.
Unsurprisingly, it was met with swift and large Facebook condemnation from voters all across the spectrum. But intentionally or not, he also placed the leader of his party in a very difficult position.
Read Cecilia Robinson’s full piece here
Dilapidated hospitals, chronic staff shortages - our health system’s a national disgrace - June 18
Earlier this month the New South Wales state health ministry announced a $4.5 billion hiring package to recruit more than 10,000 staff.
This should send warning bells throughout New Zealand. How many healthcare workers will we lose this time when our healthcare system is already in crisis?
While Covid might have pushed it to the brink, the reality is it’s suffering years of neglect and underinvestment.
You just need to look at the dilapidated state of so many of our public hospitals, our overstretched mental health system, or the chronic shortage of health workers that sees so many Kiwis languishing on waiting lists or in corridors.
Read the full story here
War in the age of social media - March 6
You can’t look at what is happening in Ukraine and not be deeply impacted.
Despite Putin’s rhetoric, there are no moral dilemmas and it has no justification. This is a clear case of good versus evil, with Putin believing he can take what he wants.
That is why there is an almost universal sense of outrage about what is happening.
But this is also the first European war we’ve seen play out on social media; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is using it effectively to challenge the world to not look away from what’s happening in his country.
By sharing a steady stream of updates, videos and increasingly desperate pleas for help, we find ourselves personally pulled into the reality of the situation on the ground in Ukraine.
Read the full piece here
